Experts: No backlash on Rubio

His sip seen round the world could help him make a splash with voters, some politicos said Wednesday, referring to the GOP Florida senator’s abrupt — and let’s be honest, slightly awkward — water break during his delivery of the Republican Party’s rebuttal to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday.

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“He’s showing he can laugh at himself. He lightheartedly tweeted, he did a stand-up routine this morning and then transitioned into substantive policy questions,” GOP strategist Rick Wilson told POLITICO. “He’s doing everything he should be in a situation like this.”

From the moment a parched Rubio reached off-camera mid-speech for a bottled water and then took a gulp while looking into the camera, he opened the snarky Twitter floodgates.

For his part, Rubio poked fun at himself on Twitter following the speech and then made the morning-show rounds Wednesday with a smile and a shrug — and more bottled water.

The could-be 2016 presidential candidate should soak up the spotlight, because it has quickly become one of the most memorable parts of an otherwise great speech, GOP strategist Chip Saltsman told POLITICO.

“Oh heck — it won’t even slow him down,” Saltsman quipped. “It’s not even a speed bump. The good news for Marco is that he’s an incredibly good speaker, and it’s a shame he can’t get corporate sponsorship for endorsing water.”

It could also become a staple for Rubio as he moves forward with public speeches.

“I’d have some real fun with it, maybe have him pass out Rubio Water to crowds next time he gives a speech,” he said.

He said that in an era where politics often meshes with pop-culture, Rubio should now use one his first introductions on a national stage to showcase his personality — even it become fuel for a skit on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”

“If SNL gets a skit out of it — well, good. That’s not all bad because I think one of the best things that Marco has going for him is his personality,” Saltsman said. “He’s an easy-going guy. He can play into this and he can have fun with it. He’s got so much style and substance that if he has fun with it, he’ll seem like even more of a good guy.”

Wilson agreed that Rubio should continue to show he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

“People whose a—— are clinched too tight respond badly,” Wilson said. “People who aren’t confined in themselves and know what they believe in don’t — they move forward like Marco is doing.”